DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from applicants abstract) This study will use a qualitative grounded theory design to describe the processes by which family members attempt to manage the situation of mental illness. Phases in the process of developing managing strategies will be identified. Contexts and conditions influencing the managing process will be described. This is seen as a critical first step in the systematic development and testing of nursing interventions for families of psychiatric patients. Data will be collected by semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and structured questionnaires. Family members of patients admitted to the psychiatric unit of two hospitals will be invited to participate. Significance of the study is based upon its ability to explicate sociocultural and situational contexts and conditions for affecting the family member's managing and it will provide a theoretical basis for designing and testing a family focused intervention.